PGMA's Speech during the Conferment of Honorary Doctorate of Laws Degree by the Fordham University |
McNally Amphitheater, Fordham University New York City, U.S.A. (21 May 2003) |
| Thank you very much, Father
O'Hare, President of Fordham; Father P'Keefe, Former President of Fordham who play the
role of Father O'Hare in my father's ceremony; Father Parks; Father Dominuco; Dr. Gere;
Dr. Hollowic; members of my Philippine delegation; excellencies; guests from the academe;
ladies and gentlemen: Two days ago, I stood on the white house lawn as the representative of my country to a rare state visit honoring a deep friendship between the Philippines and America. Today, I stand here, honored with a doctorate of laws by those who taught me a great deal of what I know and made me, to a great extent, what I have become. In a very real sense, those who are honoring me with this degree today, led me as though by hand to that white house lawn. You honor me, honorable fathers of the Jesuit community, you honor my country and you honor yourselves. And as you have said before, you'd done it twice within the same family. For as our two reverend fathers have said, in 1964, Fordham University awarded the same honorary degree to my father, the late President Diosdado Macapagal. My father dedicated his presidency to the liberation of his people from the feudal bondage of the soil. I, likewise, dedicate my presidency to the liberation of my people from poverty. I can speak of the value of a Jesuit degree, a Jesuit education because as the reverend fathers have said, I studied at Georgetown in my undergraduate days and at the Ateneo de Manila University for my graduate studies. Not only that, I also helped in part Jesuit university by being a tenured assistant professor at the Department of Economics in Ateneo. In addition to all that learning and all that discipline that goes with the Jesuit education, I'm now fortunate to be able to add a ram to my menagerie of mascots that include a blue eagle and a Hoya. I take the Jesuit ideals seriously. Ad Maoirem Dei Gloriam (for the greater glory of Hod). Homo pro aliis (a person for others). These ideals are ever so relevant to the responsibility entrusted to me as president of my country to improve the lives of my countrymen, to ensure their safety, and to realize their collective potential to become a strong nation. The closing years of the last century were a time of cynicism and disengagement of the Philippines from the world. Today, the Philippines is emerging from all that. Its economy is growing. There is a greater readiness to act to set things right. This was shown in the political event alluded to earlier, the event that propelled me to the presidency. Abroad, the country has graduated from a resentment arising from events long past and old misunderstandings to a fresh awareness of new possibilities in a revitalized alliance with the Philippines' oldest defense partner. Indeed, in my watch, a new and mature relationship has been developing between the Philippines and the united states. Today, that relationship covers a wide range of critical issues, from security, to regional stability, trade and investments, economic reform, and good governance measures. My state visit enabled president bush and myself to develop a modern framework for our countries' relations that should guide them in decades to come thereby stopping the drift that had increasingly marked those relations in recent years. The Philippine-U.S. relationship is not just back on the same old track, it is forging ahead in a new direction marked by mutual respect and reciprocal trust. I did this forging for the greater security and progress of my country. I hope in that way to add to the greater glory of god who made my country and protected it as the only catholic nation in Asia. I try as well to be a person for others and devote even more of my energy to the work of wiping out mass poverty from my country. A woman for others cannot do very much alone about the problem of poverty. But a strong government can do infinitely more. As a necessary step towards the eradication of mass poverty in my country, I set my mind to creating a strong republic that can tackle so great a challenge. Thus, in the first two years of my administration, the work was marked by strengthening the institutions of government, enhancing macroeconomic fundamentals, lowering inflation, stabilizing the currency after the wild spins of the Asian crisis, and instituting major structural reforms that will make the country an active player in the global village and not just a passive victim of globalization. Strengthening Philippine alliances through aggressive diplomacy, just as I have just completed in Washington, is integral to my strategic vision. This includes the recognition that terrorism in the Philippines must be beaten decisively if we are to free government resources for the task of eliminating poverty. In that regard, the U.S. is an important ally. We face a common foe, identified by the same cowardly tactic of targeting the innocent and hitting those who cannot retaliate. The other part of my trip focuses on business and investment promotion, I do every single trip overseas. People are often surprised to know how far the Philippines has evolved into a global country and a global economy. Not only I the head of State of a Nation of 80 million Filipinos, but I am the equivalent of the CEO of a global Philippine enterprise consisting of 8 million Philippine workers deployed in over a 140 countries, generating billions of dollars a year for themselves, for their employers, for their families in the Philippines. Many economic and social challenges remain. We have come to grips with the terrorist threat in the Philippines. And I promise you, I will not let go, for terrorism still disrupts the world. Terrorism must be faced and must be fought to the bitter end. But it will not end with just the fighting. As father remembers what I said in the council of foreign relations two years ago, as much effort must go to winning the peace as waging the war. I say this not only in Iraq but also of insurgency-infested areas in my country. My government can and will in order to strengthen our economy bring the budget deficit to an acceptable level as a percentage of GNP. Our vital signs are strong and indicate a heightened ability to tackle the deficit from a position of strength and sustainable development. We have succeeded in reforming areas like banking law, money laundering, the stock exchange, revenue collection. Now, we are moving with greater vigor on taxation and anti-corruption reform. Much remains to be done but what has been achieved shows that success lies well within the realm of imminent possibility. We have a long way to go but we know now the right direction to take and we have the strength to make the journey. All these tasks are subsumed under one overriding goal: the creation of a strong republic in order to win the battle against poverty. Two features are essential for a strong republic. The first feature is independence from class and sectoral interests, so that the republic stands for the interest of all rather than of a powerful minority. The second feature is the capacity to execute good policies and deliver essential services through strong institutions and an efficient bureaucracy. The results of good policies and empowered institutions are faster economic development and more meaningful social reform. Reflecting on the long task of nation building and anticipating the continued support of friends like the united states, I'm confident that our country will achieve this strong republic dedicated to economic growth and good governance, but sacrifices will be required in the process. And I shall ask the most from those who have not have had to make them by the force of circumstance. A famous president of my country promised: those who have less in life shall have more in law. Now I have to say that those who have more in life shall have more to do to make life livable for more of their fellowmen. This is that Jesuit sense of social justice that would have all of us be men and women for others. In this spirit of this Jesuit ideal, I would like to take this opportunity to pay tribute to Father Joseph O'Hare. From the outside of ourselves, blood and birth classify a man, but dedication is what makes what he is inside. And in side, Father O'Hare is a Filipino at heart. Father O'Hare spent many years in the Philippines as a student. He taught at the Ateneo for 11 years -- about the same length of time I taught in Ateneo. He continues to communicate with his former students at the Ateneo de Manila. He even knows about my husband's school reunion during this trip. Many of the students from the Ateneo are now in positions of influence in government and the private sector. The country has reaped well from the seeds of excellence that Father O'Hare sowed during his days at the Ateneo in the Philippines. And so, I pray that god will bless Father O'Hare with abundant grace and yet more years as he steps out of Fordham not retiring, mind you, but moving on to pursue other worthy endeavors. He is a true embodiment of the Jesuit ideal of being a man for others. While the Jesuit community will still enjoy his work and services, Fordham will surely miss him. But his outstanding achievements will endure and make Fordham feel that he is still very much around. As I receive this honorary Doctor of Laws degree from an old and long time friend of the Philippines, I wish to reiterate my sincere gratitude to Father O'Hare, to the board of trustees, the faculty and the administration of Fordham University. I shall return this honor by doing my best in the service of my country. Ad Maiorem Dei Gloriam. For the greater glory of God. Thank you. |